Suppose you buy a $300,000 home with 3.5% down on an FHA loan. That is $10,500 down and a $289,500 base loan. Financing the 1.75% upfront mortgage insurance premium brings the balance to about $294,566. At an illustrative 6.00%, principal and interest on 30 years is about $1,766 a month. At 6.25% it is about $1,814. That 0.25-point gap costs roughly $48 a month, or about $2,860 over five years, before annual mortgage insurance, taxes and insurance. Duane Buziak, NMLS #1110647, compared these lenders on FHA product depth, process, how each one structures rate shopping, and fit for different borrowers. This is a structural comparison, not a ranking of winners.
Quick Comparison of the FHA Lenders
- Grand Rates by Duane Buziak: suited to borrowers who want several FHA quotes compared before committing; free to the borrower; it shops hundreds of wholesale lenders without a credit pull.
- Rocket: suited to self-directed borrowers who want to apply online; quote-based pricing; a fully digital, self-service process at national scale.
- Guild Mortgage: suited to first-time buyers who want a face-to-face loan officer; quote-based pricing; local officers on a national retail platform.
- NFM Lending: suited to Mid-Atlantic buyers who prefer relationship-based service; quote-based pricing; branch-level service with Mid-Atlantic roots.
- Movement Mortgage: suited to buyers who want a national lender with a hands-on local officer; quote-based pricing; a nationwide network of local officers backed by digital tools.
- Veterans United Home Loans: suited to service members weighing VA against FHA; quote-based pricing; VA specialization that frames the VA-versus-FHA decision.
1. Grand Rates by Duane Buziak
Grand Rates by Duane Buziak is an independent rate comparison and home loan consulting service. Duane Buziak shops FHA purchase and refinance scenarios across hundreds of wholesale lenders instead of quoting from one company’s rate sheet. A retail lender sells only its own loans. A wholesale channel lets an independent broker place the same borrower with whichever lender prices that file most competitively. Duane Buziak works as both broker and lender, so a scenario can be placed where it fits.
The distinctive piece is the comparison itself. FHA rates and lender overlays, the extra credit score or debt-ratio rules a lender layers on top of FHA’s minimums, vary from one lender to the next. A 620 score that one lender prices well may be declined by another. Seeing those differences side by side, without a hard credit pull to get the numbers, is the main reason to start here.
- Compares FHA pricing across hundreds of wholesale lenders, so you see the spread instead of one quote.
- Does not require a credit pull to compare rates, so shopping does not touch your score.
- Walks through FHA purchase and refinance scenarios, including down payment, mortgage insurance and overlay trade-offs.
- Costs the borrower nothing for the consultation; loan costs appear in the Loan Estimate.
- Covers Virginia, Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, Washington DC, North Carolina, South Carolina and Maryland.
There is no software to integrate and no portal to configure. Duane Buziak runs the consultation personally, and setup is a conversation about your credit, down payment, income and timeline. The limits are real. It is not a self-serve online application lender, so a borrower who wants to apply at midnight with no human contact will find the process more hands-on than a digital-first lender. It is also available only in the licensed states listed above. Comparing quotes does not remove the credit check required at application.
Pricing: free to the borrower. Your actual rate and costs depend on credit score, down payment, loan amount, property type and points, and are disclosed in the Loan Estimate.
Good fit for: borrowers who want several FHA quotes compared side by side before committing.
2. Rocket
Rocket is a national online-first lender. It offers FHA loans alongside conventional, VA and jumbo products through a digital application. It is built for borrowers who are comfortable handling a mortgage largely on their own screen.
Its main strength within this group is that the entire process can be completed online, at national scale. You can start an application, upload documents, and follow progress without scheduling a call or visiting a branch. For a borrower with a straightforward file and a short timeline, that removes friction.
What you get
- An online application and document upload flow, so paperwork does not require printing or in-person visits.
- FHA purchase and refinance options, so one lender can cover either goal.
- Online progress tracking, so you can see where the file stands without chasing updates.
- Several loan products under one lender, which makes switching from FHA to conventional easier if your numbers change.
Setup, integrations and limits
Setup runs through an online account portal with digital document and asset verification. You manage the file yourself, with support available as needed. That suits organized borrowers, but it can feel thin if your income is irregular, your credit has blemishes, or you want someone to explain trade-offs in real time.
The structural limitation is single-lender pricing. Rocket quotes its own rates, so you need outside quotes to know whether they are competitive. Pricing is quote-based and moves with credit score, down payment, loan amount, property and points. Check the website for current offerings and state availability.
Good fit for: self-directed borrowers who prefer to apply entirely online.
3. Guild Mortgage
Guild Mortgage is a retail lender with local loan officers. It offers FHA and other government-backed loans for purchases and refinances. Its model is the traditional one: a named officer in your area guides you from application to closing.
What stands out is the combination of in-person support with a national retail platform. A first-time buyer who has never read a Loan Estimate can sit down with a loan officer, ask questions, and get the process explained face to face. That matters on FHA loans, where the down payment, mortgage insurance and credit rules all interact.
- Local loan officers and branches, so you can meet someone in person rather than work only by phone or screen.
- FHA and other government-backed options, which lets an officer steer you between programs if your situation shifts.
- Purchase and refinance financing, so the same relationship can serve you later.
- In-house servicing, which may keep your loan with the same company after closing. Verify the current status with Guild before relying on it.
Integration is limited to an online application portal. Day to day, you and your loan officer drive the file together, with the officer as your main contact. The limitations are structural. Branch availability varies by state, so confirm there is a loan officer who covers your area. Pricing also comes from one lender, so you will not see how its FHA quote compares with others unless you gather those quotes yourself. A borrower who wants a fully digital experience may find the branch model slower.
Pricing: quote-based. Rates depend on credit score, down payment, loan amount, property type and points. See the website for current details.
Good fit for: first-time buyers who want a face-to-face loan officer.
4. NFM Lending
NFM Lending is a branch-based retail lender with Mid-Atlantic roots. It offers FHA purchase and refinance loans along with other government-backed and conventional programs. Its pitch is relationship-driven service at the branch level.
Among the lenders here, its distinguishing trait is that regional footprint. For buyers in Maryland, Virginia and neighboring markets, a branch team that works the same local agents, appraisers and title companies can help a transaction move smoothly. That local familiarity is hard to replicate with a national call center.
Limitations come first with this one. NFM offers a less self-serve digital experience than an online-first lender, so expect more phone and email contact and less do-it-yourself tracking. State availability should also be verified on its website before you plan around it, since a regional lender’s footprint may not match yours. As with any single lender, you see only NFM’s pricing, so benchmarking requires quotes from elsewhere.
- Branch-based loan officers, which means a named person handles your file locally.
- FHA purchase and refinance options, covering the two most common reasons to take an FHA loan.
- Other government-backed and conventional loans, useful if your credit or down payment moves you off FHA.
- An online application option, so you can start digitally even when the service is relationship-based.
Setup runs through an online application portal, and the branch loan officer manages the file with you from there. There are no third-party integrations for you to configure.
Pricing: quote-based. Rates move with credit score, down payment, loan amount, property and points. See the website for current information.
Good fit for: Mid-Atlantic buyers who prefer a relationship-based lender.
5. Movement Mortgage
Movement Mortgage is a national retail lender with a hybrid model. Local loan officers work in many states, backed by digital application tools, and FHA sits among its government-backed loans. It is designed for buyers who want the convenience of online tools without giving up a person to call.
The distinctive element is the pairing of scale and locality. You get a nationwide network of local officers, so a relocating buyer can work with the same company in a new state, plus online tools to apply and share documents. That sits between a branch-only lender and a fully digital one.
- FHA and other government-backed loans, so program options remain open as your plans firm up.
- Local loan officers across many states, giving you a regional contact who knows your market.
- Online application tools, so you can start and submit documents on your own schedule.
- Purchase and refinance options, so the same lender can handle either need.
Setup runs through an online application and borrower portal, with the loan officer coordinating the file. Your effort is moderate: you upload documents and respond to conditions while the officer handles pricing and underwriting questions.
The main limitation is single-lender pricing. You get Movement’s quote, and you must gather outside quotes yourself to compare. Officer experience can also vary by office, so ask how many FHA loans the person you are working with closes. Pricing is quote-based and depends on credit score, down payment, loan amount, property and points. Check the website for current availability by state.
Good fit for: buyers who want a national lender with a hands-on local officer.
6. Veterans United Home Loans
Veterans United Home Loans is a national lender best known for VA loans. It also lists FHA and conventional options, though you should verify its current offerings on its website. The company is designed around military-connected borrowers.
What it does distinctively is VA specialization. A service member or veteran often has a real choice between a VA loan and an FHA loan, and the two differ in down payment and mortgage insurance structure. A lender with deep VA experience can walk through that decision with far more context than an FHA-only shop.
The limitation is fit. Its focus is VA, so a civilian borrower looking specifically for FHA may find the experience less tailored, since the company’s depth sits in a different program. And because it is a single lender, its pricing needs outside benchmarking, as with the others here.
- Deep VA loan experience, which helps you compare VA and FHA on your own numbers.
- FHA and conventional options, subject to verification, so a fallback exists if VA does not fit.
- Dedicated loan teams, meaning you work with a defined group rather than a rotating queue.
- Online application and tracking, so you can follow the file digitally.
Setup runs through an online borrower portal. A dedicated team handles much of the coordination, so day-to-day effort on your side is limited to supplying documents. Eligibility for VA loans depends on service history, so confirm that first.
Good fit for: veterans and service members deciding between VA and FHA financing.
How the Six Lender Models Compare Structurally
- Grand Rates by Duane Buziak: independent consultation; pricing compared across hundreds of wholesale lenders; consultation-based, not self-serve; licensed in VA, FL, TN, GA, DC, NC, SC and MD.
- Rocket: online-first national lender; single-lender pricing; fully digital application; FHA offered alongside conventional, VA and jumbo.
- Guild Mortgage: retail lender; single-lender pricing; local loan officers and branches; availability varies by state.
- NFM Lending: branch-based retail lender; single-lender pricing; Mid-Atlantic roots; online application option; verify state availability.
- Movement Mortgage: national retail lender; single-lender pricing; hybrid of local officers and digital tools.
- Veterans United Home Loans: national lender focused on VA; single-lender pricing; FHA listing to be verified; dedicated loan teams.
FHA Loan Questions, Answered
What is an FHA loan?
An FHA loan is a mortgage insured by the Federal Housing Administration and issued by an approved lender. It allows lower credit scores and smaller down payments than many conventional loans. HUD publishes the program rules at hud.gov.
What credit score do you need for an FHA loan?
HUD guidelines allow 3.5% down with a 580 score or higher, and 10% down with a score of 500 to 579. Many lenders apply overlays that set higher minimums, so approval and pricing can differ from lender to lender.
What are upfront and annual MIP?
The upfront mortgage insurance premium is 1.75% of the base loan and can be financed. The annual premium is charged monthly and ranges from about 0.15% to 0.75% depending on loan term, amount and down payment. Confirm current rates at hud.gov.
What is a lender overlay?
An overlay is a rule a lender adds on top of FHA minimums, such as a higher credit score or tighter debt ratio. Two lenders can treat the same borrower differently because overlays vary.
Do all FHA lenders charge the same rate?
No. FHA sets program rules, not rates. Each lender prices its own loans, and fees and overlays differ, so quotes for the same borrower can vary.
Does comparing FHA rates hurt your credit?
Multiple mortgage inquiries within a short window are generally treated as one for scoring purposes, according to consumerfinance.gov. The window length depends on the scoring model. Some comparison services can also give estimates without a hard pull.
What is the difference between wholesale and retail lenders?
A retail lender sells its own loans directly to you. A wholesale channel offers loans through independent brokers, who can compare several lenders for one borrower.
FHA versus conventional: which costs less?
It depends on your score and down payment. FHA annual MIP with less than 10% down lasts for the life of the loan. Conventional private mortgage insurance can generally be removed once your equity reaches a set threshold.
Can you get an FHA loan if you are self-employed?
Yes. Self-employed borrowers typically document income with tax returns, usually covering two years, and lenders review that income closely. Documentation requirements can differ by lender.
Is there a minimum income for an FHA loan?
FHA does not set a minimum income. Lenders look at your debt-to-income ratio, employment history and cash reserves, and overlays can tighten those standards.
Choosing an FHA Lender in 2026: Matching Model to Situation
FHA loan limits are set by county. As of 2026, HUD sets the one-unit floor at $541,287 and the ceiling for the highest-cost areas at $1,249,125. Most Virginia localities sit at or near the floor, while Northern Virginia areas such as Fairfax County carry higher limits. Verify your county in HUD’s FHA limit lookup. For current market rates, check Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey, which is updated weekly, and treat any rate you see as an “as of” figure.
Three situations stand out. If you want several FHA quotes compared without a credit pull, Duane Buziak at Grand Rates by Duane Buziak is the natural first stop. If you want a face-to-face officer, Guild Mortgage, NFM Lending or Movement Mortgage fit that model. If you prefer to apply entirely online, Rocket is built for it. Service members should weigh VA against FHA with Veterans United Home Loans before settling on a program.
Ready to secure a competitive mortgage rate for your Virginia home without impacting your credit score? Get your free personalized rate comparison from an independent consultant recognized as one of Virginia’s top loan officers, with no obligation and no hidden fees.
